MIM EZINE, JAN 3, 2006

CONTENTS

– Purpose-filled Ministry -- Ministry Success:  A Result of Divine Coincidence or Careful Planning?

– Book Review:   The Church Staff Handbook: How to Build an Effective Ministry Team

– Classified Ads

To read this ezine in its entirety click here

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Purpose-filled Ministry -- Ministry Success:  A Result of Divine Coincidence or Careful Planning?

By Teena M. Stewart

My husband and I are very different from each other.   Though he can plan and prepare, he is somewhat spontaneous and often finds interruptions welcome because they provide a nice break in his day.  He’s also a people person and prefers relationships and networking above planning and preparation.

I, on the other hand, am a plotter and planner; a real detail person. I know what is needed to make something happen and will plan things out far in advance. This has pros and cons.  It usually means I am well-prepared but it also means I may overlook the people aspect of ministry. 

Over the past few years God has been showing me the value of relationships and that ministry is more about people than processes.  Systems-oriented people like me can easily lose the true purpose of our ministry in the details.  But I have also learned that the most successful ministries happen because, God brought people together to see his plan unfold.  It is through networking and sharing that synergy happens and people begin to work toward a common, God-inspired purpose.

Striking balance between those spontaneous God-given moments and actually planning out how such ministry unfolds is important.  Often the most successful ministries are those that happen by why I call “divine coincidence”. We might not initially plan them, but they are His plan, nonetheless. They succeed because God ignites them, but He then entrusts them to us to oversee.  Goal setting and planning can make the difference between vital, effective ministry or simply one more program to maintain.

As you start your new year in ministry, here are some tips for ministry success.  

• Schedule regular planning meetings with those on your team to talk about where you are with your ministry and where you would like to be.  (If you don’t have a team, make it a goal this year to build one.)

• Set specific short-term and long-term goals

• Give each goal a date by which you would like to achieve it.  At subsequent meetings review those goals and dates to gauge how you are doing

• Listen to the ideas and dreams of those with whom you are working and consider no idea too foolish or radical until you truly process it

• Look for opportunities to rub shoulders with others in ministry outside of your normal sphere. This might be simply by reading ministry and/or leadership books, by attending conferences, or by having lunch with Christian acquaintances
 
• Most importantly, consult God. Pray for your ministry and enlist others to pray for your ministry

Remember that successful ministry takes time.  It is true both in business and in ministry that most people simply do not allow enough time for success when launching new ventures.  If it is taking longer than expected  to achieve your imagined results, give it at least twice as much time as you thought you would need.  Talk out your frustrations with others. They may have objective input that can help you succeed.

Ministry success is achieved by a careful balance between being people and network oriented, and plotting and planning.  If you personally struggle with being more focused on one than another, work with someone who has strengths in the other area.  Very few ministries succeed with out a team effort.  Keep this in mind and “success” is virtually guaranteed. 

Teena Stewart is a Ministry Team leader, a published writer, a speaker, consultant, and seminar leader for Ministry in Motion. To learn more about her speaking and seminars visit http://www.ministryinmotion.net/speakers_christians.html

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Book Review -- Church Staff Handbook: How to Build an Effective Ministry Team

By Harold J. Westing, Kregel, 1997, ISBN #0825439736, 221 pages

Reviewed by Teena Stewart

Harold J. Westing wrote the Church Staff Handbook as a result of years of interviewing and observing church leaders and their interactions.   Says Westing, “My thirty-five years of involvement with hundreds of church multiple staff is most depressing. It is rare to find one out of four multiple staffs working in love and harmony…” He’s seen the positive outcome of efficient teamwork and, unfortunately, the all too frequent breakdowns caused by miscommunication and misunderstandings among church staff.

Westing’s credentials include his position as director of the Center for Leadership Development in Littleton , Colorado .  In addition, he has served as the Associate Professor of Christian Education and Pastoral Ministries at Denver Conservative Baptist Seminary  and as the National Director of Christian Education Ministries for the Conservative Baptist Association of America.  Westing’s goal in writing this book is to prevent “staff infections” and provide motivation and guidelines for developing a godly team.  The book is written so that ideally staff members should read and then discuss chapters corporately.  Every chapter has specific work areas to concentrate on and a suggested project that team members can work on to improve the harmony and unity of team.

When teams fail to work together it can be for variety of reasons.  It is important to know what goal you are trying to achieve and work together to reach it. There are many different reasons why people fail to work together.  It might be as simple as everyone  trying to reach a different goal or there could be more complex issues in play. Westing walks readers through how to develop a church philosophy to ensure that everyone is in agreement as to objectives. 

Identifying types of leaders and management styles is also imperative. When leadership and management styles are at opposite ends of the spectrum, there will be conflict and frustration.  Leaders often automatically gravitate to choosing other leaders who think and operate like themselves but this is often a poor choice. It is best to look for leaders who will be strong where the other leader is weak and vice versa.  Knowing your own leadership qualities and management style before building team is crucial.  For existing teams it can be more of a challenge because the dynamics are already in play, but recognizing them and understanding them can help the team make necessary adjustments and work together better.

Also valuable is learning how to manage upward when leaders want to modify an existing leader’s behavior.  Westing devotes an entire chapter to dealing with staff diseases which include staff triangulation (which occurs when one person pairs up with another to voice complaints or vent about a third party); staff codependency, (when staff members try to control or dominate each other); and unresolved conflict.  Helpful also are chapters dedicated to how to manage staff meetings, hiring staff, conducting interviews, and financial equity.  The book includes assessment tests, diagrams, and discussion questions.  Those who are squeamish about highly detailed diagrams and flowcharts may find some of them intimidating.  Those who like the fine points of details and diagrams mapped out visually will most likely appreciate them. 

This book is very valuable to those in vocational church ministry, particularly those in multi-staff churches.  By learning to understand the dynamics of team work in ministry and what adjustment to make, we can focus more on guiding our congregations rather than the dysfunctions that often interfere with accomplishing the actual work of the kingdom.

 Order Church Staff Handbook

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